Koijini
by Materia-Blade
Summary: Ranma is finally cured. But a girl is left behind. A ghost. Lonely and Alone, she swears that someday.. The girl of his dreams will love her as well... No matter what.
1. Chapter 1: A Challenge For You

Wow it's been forever!!! But the Blade is back with an all new fic. I've developed yet another longfic that I hope can become a masterpiece. This idea was developed from my hatredof the fact that I even wrote Something Better. And my bigger hatred of the fact that on the reread... I REALLY LIKED it!This ficwas also inspired by The Iris Tales. If you haven't read it, it is one of my favorite fics on the net. (Not to mention it is the ONLY Kuno/Ranma pairing fic that I have ever read. Considering someone made a Kuno/Ranma pairing I liked? It must be pretty damn good because I hate Kuno.) So this fic was made to even out the angst in my writing of Something Better. I believe I should have been more detailed and I should've had a happier ending. This long fic is that. But also.. absolutly and completely different. I have it planned from front to back and the twist in the middle will surprise ALL of you! Now without further ado. On with the show. 

Oh and by the way, Akane will not be OOC nor an evil bitch like I made her into in Something Better. This story concept is hundreds of times different.

Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma nor any of the cast. All I own is the hotel in France(appears later in the fic), Tano(also later in the fic) and Koijini(WAY later in the fic)

One last thing. Please don't give me any rants about Japanesse traditions. I don't know them! You'll understand what I mean when you read.

Now seriously, On with the show.

Koijini

Prologue

A Kiss.

That was all it took to change the story so drastically. Everything was going well. And despite the later events... everything ALWAYS went well for Ranma and Akane after that. But their story isn't the only part.

My name is Koijini, meaning "Dying of Love". I was once known as Ranma Saotome. For a long time I was nameless. But, after breaking my second promise, in an attempt to keep my first, I got a name back. I finally became loved again by the only one who had ever captured my heart.

But it will never be the same...

* * *

Chapter One: A Challenge for You

"Don't be tense... don't be tense... DON'T TEASE HER! and don't be tense. Kami let me not be tense." Ranma thought to himself.

Ranma was, despite his best efforts, so incredibly nervous that he shook with a mixture of excitement, dread, and aprehension.

They were walking home from their very first date. It had been a real, true blue, official date. And for the most part it had gone extremely well. Ranma was happy with the way it was going because by the way Akane was smiling, it was obvious that he had done a good job.

He was somewhat jealous of Akane. She wasn't nervous at all. No doubt she knew the tradition but had just forgotten with all the madness that usually went on. No wonder she'd forgotten. With all the things that usually happened to her how could she possibly remember such a... normal person traditon?

But Ranma remembered. Probably by some freak accident but somehow he had managed to remember a tradition he had heard of once or twice that whenever a man takes a woman out on a date, they were supposed to kiss at the end when he dropped her off. And therefore, was counting the steps back to the Tendo Dojo gate. There were seventeen... wait... sixteen... fifteen.

He had asked her onto this date two days before. Honestly at first it was just an idea for an apology for something or another that he had done and she was angry about . So he worked up his nerve and knocked on her door.

"Who's there?" She had answered.

"Uh... it's me. Akane, can I ask you something?" He asked from the doorway.

"Sure go right ahead." She replied.

"Uh... in the room?"

"Fine." She muttered.

She opened the door. Ranma walked in nervously. Akane went to her bed and sat down. "Well what do you want?"

"Look Akane, I'm.. .really sorry about Shampoo, ok? And I was just wonderin... well... if there was any chance... you'd wanna go on a date with me.

Akane had been dumbstruck.A bowl oframen at the Neko Haunten - Free. An Okonomiyaki at Ucchan's - Free. The look on Akane's face when He asks HER out. - Priceless.

Akane had looked amazing. When he had asked her out two days previous he had NO idea she would be able to make herself look so... girlish... in just thethree hours between the last time he had seen her and the time she walked out of her room! She stood at the top of the stairs and he was struck senseless with amazement.

He'd of course, been struck like this before. But he'd never had the guts to admit it. On Toma's island he was amazed, but it was hindered by the fact that she looked better and even more by the fact that she knew it.

She wore a slightly altered version of the outfitshe wore when Nabiki pretended to be his fiancee. When Nabiki gave Akane the invitation to date him she dressed herself extreamly well. But the date then turned into a disaster when Ranma pulled her through a bush thinking she was Nabiki...

This was a retry.

On this date they had gone to a movie. Ranma had let his arm slip around her and Akane had allowed it. She had been nervous then. Why was she so calm now? So happy now?

Ranma had almost forgotten that his hand held hers while thinking about it, and he would have forgotten completely had she not stopped and cried out in pain at him for squeezing it so hard.

"Sorry! Sorry! I.. didn't mean it Akane.. I..." he stuttered.

She smiled.

"It's ok... it was worth it." She laughed and skipped on ahead a few steps and then turned around.

"Well, come on! What are you waiting for, baka?!" She asked still in an exhilarated tone.

She held out her hand and Ranma rushed to re-accept it. He loved it when she smiled like that. The sting of being called an idiot... well... being called an idiot seemed more like a pet name when she smiled during it.

They continued on toward the dojo gate, Ranma counting the steps, Akane feeling great about her ability to make Ranma nervous in a way no one else she had ever seen had been able to.

Even Shampoo! Though Ranma did seem extremely nervous right now. She was when she was in the movie theater but the more comfortable she was with his arm around her, the less nervous she became. Holding his hand was a walk in the park!

But why was he so nervous? It seemed to get worse the closer they came to the dojo. Ranma apparently hadn't noticed but he was gripping her hand quite tightly again.

They walked into the gate and up the pathway to the door. Once there Ranma stopped.

"Ranma?" Akane asked.

"Akane... i'm not sure if you, uh.. remember dating traditions the same way... but... I think something is supposed to happen here..." He said, in perhaps an even more nervous tone.

"CRAP! THAT'S WHY HE WAS SO NERVOUS!" Akane thought. Shebegan to sweat. It was late. No one was awake. And the tradition on first dates was a kiss at the door where the man dropped the woman off. Well, this wasn't technically a "drop off"since both of them lived in the same housebut it had the same general idea.

She gulped audibly.

"Uh... I... uh..." She stuttered

Ranma.. relieved that she remembered and was now in the same situation as himself, said. "If .. if you don't wanna. That's--"

"No! I... want to..." She finished slowly.

"A.. allright.." Ranma replied.

It was awkward. Definantly not the perfect first kiss Akane had dreamed of. Not even Ranma's first kiss at all. Mikaido had that. But it was the thing that made up for all of that.

It was Ranma.

It was Akane.

It was a kiss between star-crossed lovers that once upon a time, hated each other.

And now...

They walked up the stairs together as silently as possible.

"Uh... good night... Akane..." Ranma said quickly.

"Ye.. yeah.. goodnight!"

Ranma walked into his room... a wide grin on his face.

Akane walked into her room... a wide grin on her face.

Ranma lay in his futon. Of course, not asleep. He lay, his hands behind his head staring at the ceiling, thinking. And his thoughts based solely around the girl he had just left in her room. "Another date Friday... I gotta wait till NEXT FRIDAY?! ... Damnit... Well, maybe she won't mallet me between now and then?"

Ranma turned over and tried to get to sleep but it took at least an hour for him to attain the state.

* * *

Two days past. It was Monday morning and Ranma was up, as usual, bright and early fighting his father. 

He jumped from a rock over the koi pond, judging himself to be two feet higher than Genma, he aimed for another rock on the oposite side of the pond. Landing, he lanched himself back toward his father, who lay moving in midair and pounded him in the stomach.

Genma was sent rocketing into the wall, therby ending the mornings fight. One of the few the ended splashless. Ranma was still happy.

"Speaking of Happi." Ranma thought as the deranged old man appeared over the edge of the Tendo wall.

"Ranma, my boy... I need speak with you for a moment." Happi said in an odd sort of tone that Ranma had never heard from him. A tone that sounded as mature as the age of the person who spoke it.

"Hmm? Bout what old freak?" Ranma said casually.

"I've noticed you and Akane recently have been getting a little closer." Happosai replied, "And frankly... I don't think it would be right for you to take my darling Akane out for a date and then accidently turn into a girl. So... I'm going to offer you a challenge."

"Hmm?! What kind of challenge?" Ranma asked anxiously.

"I know of a potion... a potion able to dispel the strongest of curses... such as Jusenkyo..." Happosai said. Expecting an outburst from Ranma he waited but none came.

"Oh?" Ranma said asked, his curiosity, only mildly peeked. "Is that all?Allright sure."

"Your not excited about that?" Happosai asked.

"No... I've had too many false cures to get my hopes up. I'm not gonna dissapoint myself again.So what do I gotta do to get it?" He replied quickly.

Happosai, while mildly disturbed, went on and told Ranma.

"You need to seek out the ingredients in various places around Japan. But I won't tell you the ingredients or their locations until you can defeat me in Anything Goes Martial Arts combat! But this fightis not only for the ingredients. I am offering you this challenge as a way to take my place as Grandmaster of the Anything Goes School of Martial arts!" Happosai exclaimed.

Ranma was shocked. Happosai was... GIVING him the challenge?

"No tricks? Just a straight fight... No splashing me when i'm about to hit you or something?" He asked suspiciously.

"As long as you don't throw any silky darlings into the dirt during the middle of the match. I'm very impressed by you lately Ranma. Defeating Saffron! You should've challenged me long ago. But I DON'T want to give up my Ranma-chan! This will not be an easy win, Ranma!"

"Why should I believe a word your saying?" Ranma asked casually.

"Huh?" Happosai replied confused.

"Since when are you so selfless?" Ranma asked. "What do you get?"

Lowering his tone,Happosai muttered, "I'm only doing this for Akane... I don't want to give up Ranma-chan but if you are what makes little Akane so happy... I'll have to deal with it. I _can_ live with one less girl in the world, Sonny."

"You can?!?" Ranma asked in one of the most surprised tones he had ever managed.

"I'da figured pigs would fly before that could happen." Ranma thought. Suddenly a cry erupted from somewhere south.

"RYOGA NO BAKA!!!"

He suddenly looked up in the sky. Sure enough, there was a small black piglet sailing throught the sky. "Well, that settles it." He thought.

"Heh...allright got yourself a fight old man. I don't expect to lose if there's a cure involved!" Ranma exclaimed, his ego once again skyrocketing.

"Ranma, Mr. Saotome! Oh! Grandmaster Happosai! Breakfast is ready!" Kasumi suddenly shouted.

"Eh... Ranma... do you mind.. postponing this little match? Always good to fight on a full stomach, I always say!" Happosai asked.

Ranma was not there to answer. He allready sat at the table, happily gobbling down the food.

Once breakfast was almost over, Happosai stood.

"Everyone... I have something very important to say right now. Since neither Soun, nor Genma, were ever good enough, and I'm not getting any younger... I have decided that it's high time I passed down the title of Grandmaster of the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts." He stated.

"WHAT!"

The reply was instant and in unison.

"Ranma has accepted my challenge for my right to keep my title. Should he win, he will be the grandmaster of the school and head of the dojo." Happosai finished.

Ranma smiled.

"And I ain't gonna lose either!" With that he continued eating.

No one noticed half of Happosai's food had been abducted before the old man sat down.

"Always good to fight on a full stomach." Happosai said. He then looked down. "Or... well a half full stomach works too..." He said saddly.

"Oh I'm sorry Jijii." Kasumi said pitying the old man. "I thought I'd given you more. Here you go."

"Thank you Kasumi-chan!" Happosai said with puppy dog eyes.

"Your welcome." She replied happily.

After dinner Akane pulled Ranma aside.

"Ranma.. are you really going to fight him all out? Don't you know this is probably just another trick?" She asked.

"I dunno Akane. But ya never know. If he's serious I'll finally get a real fight outta him. It's worth it I think." He replied.

He turned and began to walk toward the dojo.

"Allright, Ranma... but don't lose!" She told him firmly.

He twisted and looked her in the eye. "Do I ever, Akane?"

With that he turned around the corner.

* * *

They stood face to face... well... feet to face. But both waited to the sign to begin the fight. 

The dojo had been fully repaired, thanks to the hard work of Ranma, Akane, Soun, and, believe it or not, Genma. So it was now in perfect condition to be destroyed again. It expected nothing less.

"Duel for the title of Grandmaster of the Anything Goes School of Martial arts. No hitting below the belt. No Water. No Panties. For everything else. Anything Goes. You can only win the fight if your opponant gives up or is knocked unconcious. Ready? BEGIN!"

Nabiki had taken the role of starting off almost every duel that took place in the dojo. She'd become quite good at it.

Ranma started the fight fast. He lunged for Happosai. He knew Happosai liked to stay in the air to even out the space between their height. So instead of making a low kick, he aimed high above Haposai's head on an off-chance guess that the old man would jump there.

It worked.

Happosai went flying into the far wall. He growled and straightened himself before he hit the wall. He turned his feet toward the wall and launched himself off it.

Ranma quckly dodged to the left. Happosai zoomed off the wall again prompting Ranma to dodge yet again.

Happosai jumped off the wall and landed on the floor. "Heh heh... Anything Goes Martial Arts special attack! Yukai Taihou!"

Happosai curled himself into a ball and launched himself at Ranma. Ranma managed to dodge yet again. But Happosai moved much faster this time. He bounced off the walls in perfect order banging against the ceiling toward Ranma. Off the walls, toward Ranma. Off the floor toward Ranma moving at speeds almost equal to the Amaguriken.

Ranma could only dodge so many. The rest relentlesslybombarded his legs, stomach and a precious few even made it to the face to blow him backward.

"Come on Ranma! Fight back!" Akane shouted.

Ranma, encouraged by Akane, and also by the fact that neither he nor Happosai had begun to fight yet, Ranma set to getting Happosai out of his newfound "Happy Cannon" Technique.

Ranma dodged the next three attacks and with that twisted and punched directly where the pattern Happosai had been repeating said that he would be.

Ranma once again landed a hard hit that sent Happosai careening towards a wall. This time, however, Happosai did not regain his footing. He sailed through the thin wood and out into the yard. Ranma quickly followed out the door.

Not seeing anyone on the ground, Ranma immediatly jumped. Sure enough, Happosai waited for him in the sky. While falling they kept in a steady beat of punches and kicks, neither hitting the other with anything more than a mere close shave.

Meanwhile, the action in the sky began to attract a few spectators. A few became many as the arial battle took place.

Once they hit the ground Ranma immedialty catapulted himself to the nearest roof top, Happosai close behind.

The fought neck and tooth over every nearby roof top, circling the tendo dojo but never leaving it too far behind.

The crowd of spectators had gotten quite large when a familiar sound swept the area.

"PLACE YOUR BETS! COME ON PEOPLE! STUDENT VS. MASTER IN AN ANYTHING GOES FIGHT TO THE FINISH! WHO WILL WIN? AND WILL YOU MAKE MONEY OFF IT? PLACE YOUR BETS!" Nabiki cried into the audience with a loudspeaker that had appeared from no where.

People flocked to her, most betting on Happosai because they had always known Ranma to lose, in general, to Happosai when he was stealing panties and Ranma was chasing him.

The fight was still intense when they ended up in another midair freefall battle directly over the courtyard of the dojo.

Suddenly, as they were almost to the ground, Ranma flipped back and landed about six paces from Happosai.

Happosai, being shorter, had not yet landed leaving Ranma the time to shout, and fire, "MOKO TAKABISHA!"

The blast collided with Happosai. He had managed to put his arms up the block the majority of the blast, but it still threw him back and into the koi pond.

Ranma smirked.

A few seconds later, Happosai rocketed out of the pond to land a few feet away from Ranma, once again face to feet.

Both were breathing slightly harder than usual but neither appeared to be too tired.

"Heh heh... you'll have to do a little better than that... if you.. wanna beat me!" Happosai boasted.

"I dunno.. I think I'm doin alright." Ranma replied.

"We'll see. Happo Daikarin!!" He shouted.

A large firecracker appeared in Happosai's hands and before anyone, except Ranma, knew what was happening, the ball exploded.

Ranma had jumped as high as he could and avoided the blast. Looking down, however, he saw dozens of tiny grenades flying him.

"Aw, crap... this is gonna hurt." He said watching them fly towards him. He managed to successfully dodge the first volley of maybe ten bombs. The second volley of maybe thirty or fourty, he braced himelf for.

The bombs exploded upon impact. About fourteen hit him, while the rest sailed behind him and exploded.

He fell from the sky an landed in a disheavaled lump, charred and aching.

"Ranma!" Akane cried.

"Hmph. I though you were better than that!" Happosai taunted.

Ranma quickly hopped to his feet, most of his body still charred.

"I ain't done yet old man. Take this! Kachuu Tenshin Amaguriken!" Ranma cried.

Hundreds of punches flew towards Happosai. But unfortunantly every punch was blocked perfectly with the pipe.

Ranma quickly realized he would have to rid his opponent of the annoying pipe or he wouldn't be able to hit him with a physical attack unless he got lucky. Ranma began weaving his opponant around, circling him, trying to find a way to force Happosai to drop the pipe.

"Are you just going ot sit there and punch at me all day?" Happosai shouted through his single moving hand.

"Rrr.."

Suddenly Ranma stopped punching, and using a desperation move, slammed his fist downward with almost full strength and speed.

Happosai, not expecting this at all, was squashed like a pancake, into the dirt.

"Ow... panties... bras... silky darlings!..." He moaned, dazed. He wobbled arround for a few more seconds, and then jumped. While in the air, he shook his head and freed himself temporarily of the dizzyness. Unfortunantly for him, Ranma, with a quick flick of the wrist, hadsuccessfully removed the pipe from it's owners hand and broke it.

"Grr. That was my best pipe! Ranma Saotome! Prepare yourself!" Happosai cried. He pulled himself out of the dirt and flew at Ranma. Before reaching him, however, he twisted and whizzed by his head. Ranma turned just in time to see a small foot implanting itself in his face.

He flew back into and through the dojo wall. Barely missing the shrine. He looked up and saw the grandmaster was nearing him again with another kick.

Rolling to the right, he avioded the kick and quickly jumped to his feet, leaving Happosai to ricochet off the wall and back to the floor.

"HAPPO DAIKARIN!" He shouted again. An enourmous grenade materialized above his head. Ranma, chuckled nervously but somehow managed to avoid most of the bombs damage. The wall fared much worse.

Or at least what was left of it.

"My best pipe!" Happosai cried. His anger radiated throughout the dojo as his aura expanded to encompass the entire Tendo estate.

Ranma smirked inwardly.

The leapt toward each other again, both throwing kicks and punches in perfect time, once agian, neither hitting the other.

Suddenly, and seconds too late, Happosai realized that he had fallen for the circular trap that meant...

"HIRYUU SHOTEN HA!" Ranma shouted!

The twiser erupted from his hand, effectively removing the dojo roof.

Happosai flew up with it, completely out of control.

"WAAAAHHhHHHHH!" He cried.

Slowly the cry was replaced by the sound of the dying of rushing winds.

And once the twister cleared itself, Happosai came hurtling out of the sky and landed in a painful looking position at the bottom of a small crater.

He looked dazed but managed to get to his feet. He wobbled a little but managed to get out, "I'm... whew... still not done!"

Unfortunantly for Happosai... the roof chose this point to come crashing out of the sky and land directly on him.

For about three minutes they waited. After that they lifted the roof to find Happosai... unconcious.

"AND RANMA SAOTOME WINS BY A KNOCKOUT!" Nabiki cried.

"I... I did it.." Ranma sighed.

"Ranma! You beat Happosai!" Akane shouted.

"Oh my good job Ranma-san!" Kasumi said.

"Amazing work my boy! I knew you could do it!" Genma shouted as he ran to and hugged his son for quite possibly the first time in Ranma's life.

"Uh... pop..."

"Oh. uh... yeah.. heh heh.. sorry.. it's just such a great day to see my own flesh and blood defeat the master!" Genma cried as tears dribbled down his eyes.

Soun was in no condition to speak as he was creating a small pond at the moment.

Nabiki was busy distributing extremely small amounts of money to the few people who, like her, had bet on Ranma.

"Oh... poor master Happosai!" Kasumi cried. She bent down to look at the old man and picked him up to bring him into the house.

"So... when do you think he'll come around?" Ranma asked. "He would kinda have to be awake to name me master of the school."

"Oh I think he'll be around in a few hours. Just be patient." Kasumi said, kind as ever.

A little while later Ranma and Akane sat in the living room. They were alone again. A while before times that they were alone like this occured so seldomly. Now it seemed like they were alone constantly. Neither complained of course, because, no matter what either said, neither minded.

"So.. Ranma... your actually going to be the Master of the Anything goes school?" Akane asked.

"Seems so..." Ranma replied casually.

"Do you think your... ready to start teaching people? Do you even know how?" She asked tentitively.

"Of course! Akane you act like I haven't been learning all my life!" Ranma said.

"I know that but.. do you know how to TEACH?" She asked in a tone bordering anger.

"I JUST SAID I DID!" Ranma replied. His tone was angry.

"I WAS JUST ASKING! JEEZ RANMA! Why do I even try!?" Akane asked.

She stood and angrily stomped toward the stairs.

"Try what?" Ranma asked. He had dropped the anger and all that was left was mild irritation.

"Well..." Akane said nervously. "I was... wonderin... since your gonna be able to teach and have to teach... I was wonderin.. if you could... well... actually train me?"

"Oh is that all?" Ranma said happily. He almost laughed. She HAD been thinking along the same lines as him. Only.. not quite.

"Akane.. I was allready thinking of training you. But... well... uh... would you like to go on a training trip with me?"

Akane jumped. She felt tingly all over. A training trip.. with Ranma... alone? "Uh... where... too?" She asked.

"Happosai promised me a potion that could be made with certain ingrediants around Japan if I beat him along with the title. I was thinking you could... go with me?"

"Uh... sure... yeah.. I'll.. yeah." Akane replied still very much surprised.

"Uh.. great. Well.. uh.. I'm gonna... go to my room now.. I'm kinda tired.. and uh.."

"Yeah." Akane interupted. "Me too."

She rushed up the stairs. When Ranma heard the loud bang that signaled Akane had made it to her room, Ranma let go of the breath he did not know he had been holding.

He ran up the stairs and knocked on Akane's door.

"Yeah?" She called.

"Uh... don't tell anyone about the potion, ok?" Ranma called.

"Don't worry, Ranma. I won't tell!" She murmured cheerfully through the door.

Ranma sighed, turned around, and walked into his room for a much needed nap.

* * *

"Ugh... did any body... get the number on that house?" Happosai muttered as he roused from his pain wroght sleep. 

"Sure... the number was 7-6-6-3-8-6-7." Nabiki said. Ironicly enough these words, on telephones, are the numbers for the word "rooftop". Of course Happosai didn't know that.

"Ugh... what hit me?" Happosai cried.

"Ranma... along with 7663867. Or .. a rooftop." Nabiki replied.

Happosai sat up slowly. "He won? The last thing I remember was getting ready to fire another Happo Daikarin and then I felt something really heavy hit me in the head."

"That would be the roof." Nabiki said.

"So he did win? Well.. I had the title for a good two hundred years. I suppose it's time to pass it on..." Happosai said. He seemed downcast but somehow, happy at the same time.

"Jijii? Are you allright?" Nabiki asked.

"Of course Nabiki-chan! A student of my own finally surpassed me. He has managed to learn in seventeen years, enough to defeat my three hundred years of learing. Of course I am allright."

Happosai stood and walked out the door to find Ranma.

"Ranma's in his bedroom I think Jijii!" Nabiki called.

"Thank you, Nabiki-chan!" Happosai called back.

He walked to the room and jumped for the knob. He turned it and and opened the door to find nothing but a room with two futons... one used recently and one used by something with fur.

"Hm... Ranma doesn't appear to be here..."

He turned around and walked out the door. He was on his way back to Kasumi's room, where he had awakened but he noticed an awkward sound coming from Akane's room.

He jumped up and looked through a small crick in the door to see a sight he had once only dreamed fathomable.

Ranma sat, kissing Akane on the lips, and Akane was kissing back.

Happosai truly HATED to interupt but felt it was necisarry. The sooner Ranma got the potion, the sooner his precious Akane-chan could be happy, even if it was with Ranma.

"Did I just think that I would "hate" to interupt Ranma and Akane? Oh my... this loss did more to me than I thought." Happosai pondered.

He barged as loud as possible, emulating a small truck.

"RANMA!" He shouted.

The separated faster than Happosai had entered the room, glared at each other.

"Stupid Tomboy! Whado ya think your-"

"You PERVERT! How dare you even think about-"

"I sat outside the door watching for about five minutes you two." Happosai interupted.

"Chikusho," they replied in unison. The looked at each other and blushed a little.

"Don't worry yet you two. I don't plan on Ranma becoming married before he becomes grandmaster of the school, and those two losers you call fathers won't dare challange me." Happosai said.

"Eh... no offence or anything, Jijii? But why are you being so nice?" Akane asked.

Happosai looked down, hurt.

"Oh Akane! Can't an old man just try to do something for his students for once without being questioned?" Happosai said.

The sad thing about it was... when he said this Akane grabbed her breasts while Ranma fingered a hidden thermos.

Suddenly Happosai jumped up onto the bed and stood.

"Now... Ranma Saotome, I hearby announce you, Grandmaster of the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts. As decided here is the list of ingrediants," Happosai said as he pulled a scroll out of his shirt, "that you will need to develop your cure."

And after that Happosai whispered, "And If I were you, I'd make a copy or two."

"Eh... arigatou Jijii." Ranma replied.

Happosai jumped off the bed. "Ranma? Are you going alone?"

"Uh... well... no... Akane's comin. Were... just telling everyone it's a training trip." Ranma replied.

"Aha... I knew you had some sneakyness in you sonny!" Happosai cried, and with that, left the room.

"Well, that was... interesting." Akane said.

"Eh... I can't believe I didn't hear him coming!" Ranma shouted slamming his fist onto the bed.

"Oh it's ok, Ranma. Apparently Happosai is going on a nice streak. Plus... didn't you have... a pretty good excuse not to hear him?" Akane asked.

"Well.. yeah. Akane... what say we forget the Pervert/Tomboy thing if someone else were to catch us doing that?" Ranma asked.

"Well.. yeah. Ok. But... If you do something perverted I'm still going to call you a pervert." Akane replied.

"Uh... well... ok... I guess that's a start." Ranma blanched as he arose and walked toward the door. he turned and added one last thing before leaving.

"Ok that'll work. But if you do something uncute, i'm still going to call you uncute."

"...Where is he learning this stuff?" Akane thought.

"Ranma! You had better take good care of my baby!" Soun cried as Ranma opened the gate.

"Yeah yeah sure. She can take better care of herself though." Ranma replied, only to feel the sharp pain that you only feel when someone smashes your foot.

They had allready hugged goodbye, or in Soun's case, "been a tear catcher" goodbye. Now they waved and left the gate, hoping to get away before anyone of the MAURON, or "Martial Arts Using Residents of Nerima" found them, they were leaving early in the morning.

"THE SCHOOLS WILL FINALLY BE UNITED!" Genma and Soun shouted for the hundred billionth time.

"I'M GOING TO HAVE GRANDCHILDREN!" Nodoka thought for the millionth time.

"I'M GOING TO BE RICH!" Nabiki thought for sixhundred-fourtyfour-thousandth-seven-hundred and thirty second time. She then left to write down the number.

"Chikusho." Ranma and Akane thought for the hundredth time.  
"So... where exactly are we supposed to go?" Akane asked.

Ranma pulled out the ingredient list and looked at a map. "Well, the list says the first of the ingredients is near Okinawa.

"Okinawa it is then." Akane replied.

* * *

Ranma's Quote "The god of everything. Creator of the heavens,the stars, the planets,andthe angels... still has to obey his wife." 


	2. Chapter 2: Always With You

Another Chap of Koijini. I know you guys want me to continue The Blessing but bear with me here. This idea I got on this fic is really good! I'm gonna continue The Last Cetra after this. Then possibly Chaos Eva Pilot. If not that, then the Blessing will be continued next. If so, The Blessing will be completed after that. 

For you guys who want to know, that quote appears around chapter five. I didn't get many reviews but fortunantly I got like... fifteen people to add me to their author alert list so... i'm guessin it's pretty good.

No real reviews to reply to save for one.

To Ryan L. Spradling.

Will be explained later.

Signed Materia-Blade.

Well yeah, that was fun. Anyways. On with the show.

Chapter Two: Always With You

It was April. Two months after Akane and Ranma had left, they finally got the letter.

Since the day they left, the Tendo household had not recieved a letter, postcard, phone call or anything even resembling the fact that Ranma and Akane still remembered them.

Soun had been the most worried. He feared that something had happened to his little girl. Of course... when did he not? Then again of course, when did something not happen to his little girl?

Kasumi had been calm about it. She seemed to be on a sort of exhasperated edgyness. Probably because she had nothing to clean.

Nabiki had a headache. She wanted money. Her money pigs were gone. End of story.

Finally getting information on their livelyhood, Nabiki couldn't wait for the two to reappear again. Quite possibly having eloped, her funds would be on a record high, whether they had or not. She had rigged the system to gain money whether they had or had not eloped, though even she wasn't quite sure how.

Genma was on a constant mission to keep Soun's attention on the Shogi Board. If Soun's attention wasn't on the game in the first place, how else would he be able to distract him and cheat in peace?

Peace however, was definantly not attained by the absence of Ranma and Akane.

Ukyo, the amazon's, Ryoga, and well... just about everyone else, not excluding non-martial artists, had formed search parties. There were reasons they obviously wanted the two apart... Some for want of one or the other for themselves, some for simple bets on whether they eloped or not.

All in all, however, while there wasn't peace, there were no fights that compared to the epic battles of Ranma and his rivals that had been fought on a daily basis before he had left. There was no one whos cooking compared to the toxic monsters Akane concocted in the kitchen.

But now they knew, there was no need to worry.

Written on the back of a photograph of the Tokyo Tower was a brief, but formal, message.

Dear Family and Friends,

Ranma and I will be returning very soon. We apologize for not sending any letters to inform you of our safe arrival, stay, and departure of the places we have visited. However, we are returning on the tenth, Saturday. We will be arriving at the Tendo Dojo at noon.

With Love, Akane Tendo and Ranma Saotome.

Nabiki put down the letter after having reread it three times.

"Is that Akane? Why is she being so formal? This is kinda weird..." Nabiki thought. "It's not like them to write so formally like this Kasumi. You got any ideas as to why?"

"I haven't a clue Nabiki. I honestly didn't know Akane was capable of such formality in a letter." Kasumi admitted.

"Oh well, I'm sure we'll find out when they get here." Nabiki sighed. She walked over to her favorite spot in the house, which was, convienently, the nearby sofa. She lay down, and took a cat nap.

But one phrase in the letter kept sticking out in her mind.

"With Love?"

"Since when did Akane even think of using a word like that?" Nabiki thought.

* * *

"Airen come back! WHEN! Where! How much?" Shampoo asked frantically.

"Hmm... this is really hard-to-come-by information," Nabiki lied. "So i'm going to have to charge you about ten thousand yen.

"TEN THOUSAND! BUT... Shampoo needs that!" Shampoo cried.

"Obviously. Sorry to bother you Shampoo. I allready got a better price out of Ukyo anyway." Nabiki said as she turned around and walked toward the door.

"WAIT! You sell to stupid spatula-girl!" Shampoo cried.

"Yeah.. she bought it for fifteen. And I was trying to give you a discount... Oh well.." Nabiki muttered as she walked off toward the door at a slightly slower pace.

"Fine! Shampoo pay ten thousand!" Shampoo cried.

Nabiki smiled and turned around quickly.

"No.. that was a one-time-offer. You'll have to pay full price for rejecting the first offer. Fifteen thousand. No less." Nabiki said.

"AGH! You is evil mercenary-girl! Shampoo hate you!" She cried as she pulled out the money and threw it in Nabiki's face.

Nabiki almost cringed at the thought of bends in the bills, or of them being stepped on, or even just hitting the floor. But of course, she managed to keep her normal straight face and picked up the money with the grace of a person who was extreamly used to money being thrown at her feet.

As a matter of fact, she was starting to get back aches from all the bending over she had to do to pick it up.

"Pleasure doing business with you, Shampoo!" Nabiki said cheerfully. She handed Shampoo a piece of paper, which was in all reality, a copy of the letter.

Shampoo walked away reading the letter, all the while muttering something like, "Hate evil-mercenaries."

Nabiki then left, to sell another copy to Ukyo, starting the price at twenty thousand, and ending with twenty five.

"Martial Artists are SO gullible." She thought.

* * *

Sun rays beat down on the two travelers. Both their clothes were ragged and kind of old looking. They walked home. After almost two months being alone, with only the other for company, they had solved many of their problems.

The first and most important was this. Akane could cook.

While the other solved problems, such as Ranma and Akane dating and going to dinners a few times, her actually being trained in martial arts, and neither Ranma nor Akane calling each other tomboy or pervert anymore, may seem more important, in truth, Akane cooking was the most important.

Ranma, teaching Akane to cook, had let them become closer in their personal relationship in a way that no other thing they had done had.

Well training came close but, when Ranma complimented Akane on her food, she felt the sudden urge to give herself to him. She never would of course but the urge was still there. Either way she was uncannily nice to him for the rest of the day, on every occasion that he did it.

The reason for this was because Ranma, complimenting Akane's food, started a chain reaction making her able to stand his unwillingness to fight back in training, keep a calm face throughout his stupid remarks that came out when he least wanted them too, and finally, just plain enjoy being around him.

Of course, Akane's food was not near the likes Kasumi's "enhanced with devine properties and blessed by god himself" food, but it was definantly more than edible, and even good in Ranma's opinion.

Right now, they were walking home. They were a long ways from home, when they saw a suspicious looking set of foot prints.

They were in a desert. Both wore a long brown cloak and goggles to block the sand.

The footprints, by the map, led directly through the desert on a course that would have no stops, oasises or ends to the sand for a very large amount of miles.

Ranma suspected the footprints to be Ryoga's.

But they decided that following them would be ok. They were leading straight to the port that would get them to Nerima.

In fourteen steps the entire scenery changed. Suddenly they were in a park.

"Ugh... thats what we get for followin' cursed footprints." Ranma said angrily.

"Ranma... that... what... how?" Akane asked, still shocked by the abrupt shift in scenery.

"This is the result of following Ryoga's footprints. We could be in America for all we know.

Akane looked around. Now that she thought about it, this place did look very familiar.

"Ranma... I don't think we need to worry about that..." Akane said. "Were in old Nagasaki."

"Really? Hey didn't we get the Kakuenerugi Kontei from here?" Ranma asked.

"You remembered? It's been almost three weeks since we've been here, Ranma. I'm impressed." Akane replied.

"Well it's hard to forget a plant with a name like "Nuclear Energy Root"." Ranma replied casually.

"Yeah I guess." Akane replied. "So what are we gonna do. Were gonna be back way to early for the letter.

"I'm sure we can think of something." Ranma replied. Now most men would be thinking of that something being him plus her minus clothing. Ranma however...

"Oh really?" Akane asked sarcastically. Under her breath she muttered "Pervert." but still she smiled a little.

"Yup. Were gonna teach you how to throw a ki blast." Ranma told her cheerfully.

Akane almost felt let down. "Why... exactly do I call him a pervert again?" She asked herself. She began to think of all the reasons she had for calling him a pervert, and came up with possibly two. And neither were really his fault.

When she realized there was a hand waving itself back and forth in front of her face she looked up.

"HEY! EARTH TO AKANE! WAKE UP!" Ranma yelled.

"Oh... eh, sorry Ranma. Just thinking." Akane replied. "You can really teach me to use ki blasts?" She asked in a possibly overly hyperactive voice trying to disguise her dissapointment at Ranma's innocent nature.

"Well, yeah. Your about as good as Shampoo and you could stomp Ukyo. Either of them could throw ki blasts if they tried it some time." Ranma replied not noticing her let down state of mind.

Akane perked up again at the thought of beating Ukyo in a fight.

"Do you really think I could beat Ukyo, Ranma?" She asked anxiously.

"Sure. You've been trained by the best for two months. How could you not?" He replied, confused at her lack of self confidence.

"Being a little full of yourself, aren't you, Ranma?" Akane asked teasingly.

Ranma cocked his head to the left, gave her a questioning look, turned, and began walking along the path. He put his hands behind his head and leaned back, yawning.

"Well... maybe." He replied.

Akane raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.

"Hmm.." She thought.

"11:59. Right on time." Akane thought. She walked up to the gate but instead of opening the door, decided it would be more fun to jump over it.

She did so.

Suddenly the gate opened.

"Jeez Tomboy, use the gate! Thats what it's there for!" Ranma teased as he appeared around the door of the gate.

"Oh YOUR one to talk!" She cried.

"Hey! I use the gate every day!" Ranma returned.

"Well, glad to see you two still fight at the drop of a hat." Nabiki said sarcastically from the door to the house.

"Nabiki!" Akane cried.

"Welcome home. So, how was he?" She asked with a wink.

"Huh? ..What do you mean? It was horrible. I had to train every day from dawn till dusk!" Akane cried.

"Hopeless..." Nabiki sighed as she walked away, exhasperated.

"... What was that all about?" Ranma asked.

"Not a clue." Akane replied.

"AKANE!" Soun cried. He came running from the back of the house at full speed.

"Akane... Waterworks plan beta." Ranma said lowly.

"Gotcha," She replied.

Soun would arrive at his point of destination, that being his daughter, in approximately three, two, one... BANG!

Soun suddenly found himself sliding off an enourmous rock that had been placed between himself and his youngest daughter.

"Great job Akane!" Ranma exclaimed.

She smiled. She threw the rock over her back, and over the fence. She heard a sound from outside the fence sounding much like a painful scream but disregaurded it. She then walked up to her father, who lay, dazed on the ground.

"Sorry father. I like these clothes. Tears are bad for them." She patted him on the shoulder and walked on in.

"RANMA! THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!" Soun cried.

He was obviously still dazed and fell into a state of even more dizzyness after shouting this. Ranma walked into the house.

"No place like home!" He thought. Three years.. Well. In four days three years. But in those three years he had grown to regard this dojo as home. He was happy here. At least when Akane was around and no one else was.

Well...

Kasumi was a possible exception.

And speaking of Kasumi.

"Akane!" Kasumi cried. She ran to Akane and hugged her. "I was starting to get worried! You didn't call or send a letter or!"

"Nice ta see you too Kasumi!" Akane interupted. "Glad to be back."

The left the embrace.

"Oh.. and welcome home Ranma." Kasumi said suddenly changing her target.

"Yeah, good to be back. I was kinda getting bored. So how's things been here?" Ranma asked.

"RANMA SAOTOME! PREPARE TO DIE!" A cry suddenly erupted from somewhere outside the building.

Ranma sighed, "Excuse me."

And before there eyes, Ranma dissappeared.

"Ranma's... gotten better? I don't recall him being able to... well... dissappear." Kasumi asked.

"Well, yeah... wait till he starts popping in on you whenever you least expect it. I of course, can't beat him. But, I got a hit in on him yesterday!" Akane cried as if it were something truly admireable.

"Well thats... really great Akane." Kasumi replied. Of course Akane never noticed the sweatdrop.

"I may be able to fight on his level someday... I'm so sick of having to be protected..." Akane sighed.

An odd silence followed.

"Well... I'll go finish up on some food. It is getting close to lunch time, Akane!" She replied. Kasumi turned and headed toward the kitchen.

"Allright. I'm gonna go take a bath.. er... do I have time?" She asked. She yawned and raised her arms walking off toward the room nearby the stairs.

"Yes, it wont be ready for a little while." The words drifted in from the kitchen along with the aroma of some sort of dish Akane didn't recall.

"Hey Akane!"

"GAH! STOP IT!" Akane cried.

Ranma smirked. "You need to learn to read your surroundings better. I'm not goin' that fast. The old ghoul can move faster than this if she really tries.

"IT DOESN'T MATTER!" She cried.

She shoved him out of the way and threw open the door to the bathroom. She looked back at him and smiled. And then walked into the door.

"She... eh... kawaiikune... kawaiikune... damnit. Mabui.." Ranma sighed. She WAS cute. But that's all. At least when he wasn't alone.

Come to think of it. He was alone right now.

"Airashii, Kawaii..." Ranma muttered. He went on thinking of all the other words for cute or pretty he could come up with that would suit Akane.

* * *

"Ranma..." Akane thought as she bathed. The aroma reminded her. That trip was the best thing that had ever happened to them. But she still managed to get mad at him to point of malleting him once or twice.  
But that one time...

FLASHBACK

Ranma was waiting. He wasn't angry, but irritated, he definantly was. Akane had been in the river, bathing, for almost an hour! He was supposed to be teaching her how to cook at the moment. But was she ready? NO! She had to wash herself in dirty water with clean soap.

Suddenly he heard a low moan from what sounded likethe exact person he had been thinking about. He wouldn't have even heard it if it wern't for the fact that he had been listening for anything coming from that dirction for about fifteen minutes now. "Ugh... what now?" He thought as he ran toward the river.

"Akane!" He cried as he popped around the corner.

Akane lay sprawled on the side of the river. Completely naked. She seemed to look sick.

"Ranma..." She moaned. She seemed to be only half-way concious.

"Akane!"

Ranma ran to her side and looked at her.

"Ranma... don't... I.. feel horrible..." Were the words Ranma managed to hear from her before she collapsed.

She awoke underneath about three blankets, staring into a pair of blue-gray eyes.

"Akane..? Akane! Your awake!" He sighed in relief.

"Uh huh? Ugh... I... What.. happened?" She asked.

"I'm not sure. You were taking a bath for way to long, I heard something and came to check it out. You were sprawled out on the shore. You looked like you were about to die.. just like then.. I was so worried." Ranma said.

Akane then noticed that there was a slight shimmer to Ranma's eyes. They were watery.

"Don't.. don't do that again... eh Akane? Please? And... don't.. I didn't mean to look at you but.. you... well. I..."

Ranma fled as fast as he could.

"Ranma... Arigato." Akane mumbled.

She then realized that, underneath the blankets she was naked. Why was she naked?

"RAN- Oh! I was... taking a bath... when I feinted. He didn't even look at me? What did he do? I... that isn't the perverted Ranma I know..." She thought as she remembered how he had just fled the tent.

She began to criticise. Somehow, Ranma must have groped her in her sickness or something! But she didn't feel as if anything wrong had occured. Then again if she was sick and unconcious why would she?

But she gave him the benifit of the doubt. He had had tears in his eyes. That didn't normally happen. Matter of fact that didn't EVER happen. He must have been really worried.

She was naked underneath five blankets because he was too shy to put clothes on her... or didn't know how, leaving the only conclusion being that Ranma is... innocent?

She then noticed her clothes bag lay near her.

"Hmm... I could... get used to that.."

"Ranma... yeah... arigato..." she repeated.

She had been unconcious for three hours, he had told her later. He hadn't acted like it but the fear in his eyes she had seen when she awoke told her that he cared.

He cared more than anything.

She didn't mallet him for the entire next week.

But then, she knewhe wouldmanage to anger her again. Eh, It's not like she could stop malleting him. It was her passion. And secretly,. she thought he enjoyed it. She'd never truly felt it before but she bet that there was some sort of rush one got from being sent flying into the sky via a hard hit from something large, round, and heavy. Oh well.

* * *

She got out of the bath and began to change back into her normal clothes.

"Kasumi, I have a favor to ask." Ranma pleaded.

The kitchen was smokey with the scent of boiling vegitable oil, chicken, and to ranma's nose what seemed like fried rice. He was in a good mood. So far Ryoga had been the only person to challenge him yet. Mousse was laying outside the gate with an enourmous rock on top of him inside a small crater. Ranma never wondered why. He just took it as a blessing.

Kasumi sighed in relief. Yes. This was how life should be. Messes, Hell, Havoc, Destruction, Chaos! And there she would be to sooth it all down to a mild boil. Here was Ranma right now asking her for something that would inevitably cause all of the above.

"Kasumi, I'd like you to make this for me." He asked.

He handed her an instruction booklet.

"Potion of the Sacred Cure?" She read aloud.

"Uh huh. Happosai said that it would cure my curse." He replied.

She looked at him skeptically. Since when did Happosai do favors like that?

She asked the question.

"Since forever. I've always been a good old man Kasumi. It's just that this ungrateful brat needed to be taught a lesson or two!" Happosai cried as he flew in through a window.

"Jijii. How long you been listening?" Ranma asked.

"Oh not too long. Ranma. I offer to personally protect this kitchen from anyone. Because if I don't someone will inevitably find out what is being made." He told them.

"Oh, well... thank you. But honestly Happosai. What do you get out of this?" Kasumi asked.

"I get to see a happy pretty lady!" Happosai said in the babyish voice he used most often combined with puppy dog eyes.

Kasumi considered that. Happosai was extreamly clever but there had been nothing that Ranma had done to him recently that had made Happosai angry, so why would Happosai be playing a trick?

"Allright Ranma. I'm going to start making this. It looks like I can have it ready about two hours after dinner." She said.

"Thanks Kasumi, and I guess... thanks jijii." Ranma said to the old gnome.

"Not a problem, sonny!" Happosai replied.

* * *

"Hey Akane?" Ranma asked as he knocked on the door.

"Yeah, Ranma?" Akane replied opening it.

"Hey you got any problem with goin' out tonight?" He asked.

".. Hmm? I've got no time to get ready Ranma!" She said.

"Well yeah I know. But well, this might be the last night I could become a girl... and well... I dunno." He trailed off. "Anyway... I was kinda hopin' you wouldn't want to get too dressed up. It makes me uncomfortable..."

"Are you trying to say that I!"

"You look amazing in dresses Akane." He quickly interupted. "But when your in them... well, then... your not the tomboy Akane I know."

She smiled. "Your such a jerk... Ok. We can go. Sounds fun. But next time, I'm dressing up."

"Great Akane." Ranma replied.

"Well.. your last night as a girl? Perhaps you should go as a girl then?" Akane asked.

"Heh heh... notta chance. This is to honor the last night of my girl side as a guy. She's had enough time out on our trip. It must have rained seven hundred times!" Ranma cried.

"Ugh.. here we go again," Akane thought.

Ranma continued to go on about how much he hated the rain, the kami's, the weathermen, and most of all, the rain.

* * *

As tribute to Ranma's female form they saw a movie that Akane wanted to see. How Akane had managed to convince Ranma that his female form would prefer it he didn't know. But so far TITANIC was just a really long, boring, mildly interesting, love story that in no way compared to his own, intricate web of loves.

Well... then the ship sank.

Ranma became much more interested when he realized that the main character of the story was going to die because he loved the girl enough to give her the wood board that she could lay on and not freeze. He also realized that while only for Akane, were he in the same situation, he would do the samething and die for her if nessacary.

It was, however, hampered by the fact that, were he face with the same problem, he would simply use his ki to heat the surrounding water.

Suddenly he noticed something.

"She's here Akane." Ranma suddenly wispered to the entranced girl sitting next to him.

"Her? Her who?" Akane asked.

"Shampoo."

Akane's blood boiled.

Suddenly an object with about five extensions of varying lengths dropped down from the upper balcony, which HAD BEEN closed for repairs.

The object latched itself on to Ranma.

Unfortunantly for said object, Akane had gotten better. Also, Akane had started to blame Ranma for much less recently.

"SHAMPOO NO BAKA!" She cried.

An enourmous mallet appeared and sent the purple haired girl flying through the balcony and the ceiling behind it.

"Uh... thanks Akane." Ranma replied.

"For what?" Akane sighed as she regained her breath and sat back down.

"Well... you... didn't blame me... for her. And well..."

"Ranma you idiot!" She said angrily. She hit him in the stomach, though he barely felt it.

"Better now?" She asked.

"Uh huh." He moaned faking pain.

Suddenly the balcony, which had allready been in horrible shape, began to crack.

"Did you just hear that Akane?" Ranma asked.

It cracked a little more.

"No... what Ranma?" She asked curious but still paying attention to the movie.

Ranma glanced up and immediatly realized the balcony was angled much lower than before. He looked at all the people sitting under the balcony.

"GET THE HECK OUTTA HERE! THE BALCONY'S GONNA COLLAPSE!" He shouted at the top of his lungs.

At precisely that moment, the balcony cracked and began to fall. Fortunantly for most the people sitting below it was held on by some small significant pillar at the northeast corner of the theatre.

The people, having now noticed that the balcony WAS about to collapse, rushed through the front exits as fast as they could.

Suddenly the pillar broke and the entire balcony came falling upon the half of the audience who had been under it at the time.

"AHHHHH!" Ranma heard a scream as a chair that had been on the balcony collided with someone's skull.

The entire balcony fell.

And Ranma caught it.

"Akane... get... outta here!" He cried.

She refused.

"I'm holding too. It's my fault. I'm responsible for it. I'm gonna help." She stated firmly.

He looked at her for a few seconds and then nodded.

The people were running to through the exits at maximum speed. Once the last one, a little girl of about ten, made it through the door she looked back and shouted, "thank you!"

Ranma and Akane had been strained to their limits, holding the entire floor, trying to balance out the wait, Ranma secretly taking much more of it then Akane knew.

"Allright Akane," Ranma breathed. "On the count of three... we drop it, and head for the front left exit."

They had been positioned in the center of the theatre, almost to the exact point where the balcony streched to. The held the front tip of the balcony as the back end cracked. Once the let go the balcony would fall and break off from the back wall landing upside down atop the back rows of chairs on the first floor.

"Ok... one... two... THREE!" Ranma shouted.

The wall colapsed, slamming into the back wall and then smashing the back row of chairs into pancake mix. Akane and Ranma, safely remained at the front of the theatre, breathing hard.

They quickly fled the scene.

* * *

A soaking wet Ranma-chan sat down to eat at an ice cream parlor some four blocks away from the movie theatre.

"Stupid old lady's." She muttered.

"Ranma... are you EVER gonna learn to dodge that old lady? It's not like she's going to stop." Akane asked.

Ranma simply mumbled.

"So Ranma... if this really is the last night your a girl... are you sure you don't wanna stay one for one last time.

"Akane... I can't really say I haven't grown attached to my girl side. It has it's ups and downs.. but I'm a guy. To be a full guy again. It's what I want Akane. I hope I won't... well. I hope you still like me as well when I'm a full time guy?" She asked.

Akane giggled.

"Ranma." Akane asked. She put out her hand. "When we first met I asked you to be friends. We have been pretty much except for the fact that you turned into a boy half the time. But... I guess this is goodbye. Goodbye Ranma"

They shook hands, but it was awkward as Ranma had no idea what she meant.

Suddenly a thermos appeared in Akane's hands. She quickly doused Ranma with it.

"Hi. I'm Akane. Wanna be friends?" Akane asked.

Ranma, now finally comprehending, smiled.

"I'm Ranma Saotome. I'd be glad to, Akane."

They shook hands much less nervously this time. They stared at each other for a few minutes, and then began to laugh.

"I hope this works Akane." Ranma muttered.

"Me too, Ranma. Me too." She replied.

The rest of this part of the date went much better. No one interupted and they left the parlor feeling full and refreshed.

* * *

They sat on the roof. Ranma held the potion in his hand.

"Well Akane. Down the hatch." Ranma said quickly.

"Ranma wait!" She said quickly.

"What, Akane?" Ranma asked slightly annoyed.

Akane flinched. She knew he was sort of angry that she would not let him drink the potion yet, but she had to get something from him first.

They had arrived right as Kasumi had finished. Happosai had, as promised, stood gaurd over the kitchen, letting no one in.

He had laid sleeping under the doorway but had awoke fast enough to disguise it.

"Here it is Ranma." Kasumi said cheerfully. She handed him a glass vial that held the cure.

"Thank you Kasumi. He Akane. Roof?" Ranma asked turning around.

She had nodded.

"What do you want me to wait for?" Ranma asked snapping her out of her quick flashback.

Akane hesitated for a moment but the began. "I need you to promise me something, Ranma."

"Hmm? Like what Akane?" He asked.

"I need.. well... you'll think it's stupid. But I need you to promise that no matter what happenes after you drink this, you'll stay with me." She said.

"Stay.. Akane how could I leave?" He asked.

"This potion could lock you in your girl form instead of the other way around for all we know. If that happens, then you made a promise now. You still have to stay with me allright? I've... I've really started to like you Ranma. Over these few months we were together. I like you like... like no other boy... man. I've ever met. So promise me ok?" She pleaded.

He smiled. "Allright. Akane... I promise that no matter what happens after I drink this potion, I will stay always with you."

"Allright Ranma. Thanks..."

They looked at each other for maybe ten seconds but it felt like an hour to both of them.

"Ranma..."

Akane closed her eyes. They leaned in and kissed once again. Music sprang up from somewhere but they didn't care. It wasn't real anyway. The moon brightened to a point where the sun sighed in envy at it. The wind picked up and cherry blossom's fluttered around them.The stars twinkled with abright and clear glow.

This was the moonlight kiss, the first kiss, that they had always pictured in their dreams. There real first kiss was no comparison.

They parted after about an hour.. maybe two. Actually it was probably much closer to twenty seconds but neither knew nor cared.

"Well Akane. This is it." Ranma stated.

"Mm hmm. Goodbye... Ranma-chan."

"Goodbye... joseibi," Ranma said. A small tear appeared in his eye but it was instantly blinked away.

"Down the hatch." He stated, and promptly upended the bottle, pouring the disgusting contents down his throat.

* * *

Akane's Quote: In truth, If everyone had ever had something important slip right under their nose, then everyone would be exactly the same. 


	3. Chapter 3: Lonely With You

AHAHHAHA SO GOOD TO BE BACK! If no one knew, Akane's quote refered to her cluelessness about Ryoga. (P-Chan) The things keeping me from writing from so long are a combination of vactions, friends, girlfriends, birthdays, friends birthdays, crappy work, rereading JWD, and finally the ACT test coming up. Does anyone have any idea how hard precalculus is? DAMN! Well anyway. I suppose I could continue now. I'm kinda rusty so forgive me. Trust me... this is where the fic gets interesting or at least decent. 

Btw. Rereading Just won't die... It's a good idea... It helps. Dunno why.

Koijini

Chapter Three: Lonely With You

The first thing she felt was awarness. She could feel. She couldn't feel anything in particular, just the feeling of non-moving air. Therefore she wasn't exactly sure that she was actually using this sense.

Then came vision. It wasn't actually vision as she was in pitch black but somehow her eyes had adjusted so now instead of being completely black she could see the out-line of absolutely nothing. Therefore she wasn't exactly sure that she was actually using this sense.

Next came her sense of taste. Considering she could tell she was tasting absolutly nothing she was never sure if she was actually using this sense.

Then came her sense of smell. However, because there was absolutly nothing for her to smell she was never exactly sure she was actually using this sense.

And finally, came her hearing. This was the only sense that she was sure she had the capability of using. She walked forward, somehow moving forward, but felt absolutly nothing touching her feet.

Then feeling came. She felt her feet on solid ground and she trudged around in the dark. She was weary and weak but she walked forward to nowhere in particular. Not thinking... or doing... anything.

Then came the pain.

An inner pain that started in her chest and expanded to engulf her body and soon her entire system. It began inside her chest. She clutched it as if it were a temporary heartache. But then the pain seeped into her stomach. She grabbed both and twisted her skin furiously, hoping to keep her insides, in.

The pain flowed steadily downward into her legs, much like a thousand tiny bruses on every cell of her body.

"No... Agg! " She thought.

She slumped to the ground, hopelessly trying to keep moving.

"NO! I don't wanna die... not like this... not.. not like..!" She cried.

She fell to the floor, flat on her stomach, screaming in pain and agony. For about fifteen minutes she yelled and moaned... writhing around like a snake on the floor. Then, slowly her writhing tuned down to a low twitch... then just a few fidgets... her eyes began to close... the pain began to fade as she was consumed by the power of her killer. Her vision... which was not seeing anything in the first place, completely began to fade, however, instead of becoming black... she saw a small white light... far in the distance.

"No... stop... I.. don't wanna die like this... Damn Ranma... how could I do this to me?"

The light came closer and grew to the size of a softball in her vision, getting larger and larger until, at last, she felt her eyelids drop completely shut and felt as the last sense of feeling left her body... and she felt no more.

* * *

It was raining... Ranma Saotome sat in the rain, enjoying himself. It had been a light rain and it would surely end soon. It was the first time in almost two years that he could truly enjoy himself in the rain. 

He was free. Finally free of constantly dodging water. Free of fearing old ladies and ladles. Free of cat tongue curses and mirror reflections of himself coming to life.

He was finally cured.

It didn't do one thing to ease the feeling in his gut that he was missing something. That something had gone wrong. But he didn't think too much about it. He was FINALLY cured! And... it was all thanks to Happosai?

...Awkward... though since Happosai was the one to have re-bestowed on him his manhood Ranma almost felt bad about never letting Happosai see him in a bra just once. Almost. Also considering it wasn't his body in the first place.

It would've made the old perverts day. Hell... it would've made his next three years.

But who would've known Happosai to be such a nice person?

Oh well.

Akane walked out and called up.

"Ranma! You've been up there for almost an hour now! Your going to catch a cold! Get in!" She cried.

She'd started to get worried about Ranma again. She liked the rain to some extent. But this was insane! The idiot loved the rain!

He had been out in it since it had started, ten minute after he had cured himself.

Akane had stayed with him for almost ten minutes. She got down and asked if he was coming. He replied that he wanted to wait in the rain... to enjoy it like he hadn't been able to.

After one hour she was worried. Two hours and almost midnight she came out.

"Allright, Just.. gimme one more minute." Ranma said.

"Ranma! It's not like it will never rain again! Come on!" She cried, and then rushed back inside to the dry warmth of the living room.

Ranma was left alone again. And while alone he thought on something that had been itching the back of his brain.

"This rain... isn't right. It shouldn't have lasted this long." He thought. He looked up into the sky and just as he did so, lightning flashed.

It was no ordinary lightning flash. It flashed in a shape. The shape of a human face... a face with wild hair, wrapped into an untidy pigtail. Undoubtably female.

The enourmous blast of thunder that nearly rocked Ranma off the roof seemed to moan in protest.

Some of the water dripped into his mouth as he was rocked off balance. He spit it out like it was venom.

"This.. isn't water! This is ... tears! What the hell!" Ranma cried.

The lightning face flashed again. This time, however, an enourmous water droplet that was released at the exact same time of the flash far in the air, made it look like the face was crying.

The wind picked up and this time, Ranma was thrown off the house. He landed roughly on the muddy ground below him but quickly regained his footing. This was no ordinary storm. It was as if the heavens themselves were lashing out at Ranma being cured.

The sky moaned more. It was as if it was in pain. Agonizing pain. The faced flashed again.

That was it... the sky wanted her back. It wanted the girl that it so loved... it wanted to have her back. She was dead now... and the sky mourned the passing of it's one and only pleasure.

The lightning flashed yet again. This time.. it was the entire body of the girl form Ranma had once ocupied. In amazing detail.

She lay on the ground... motionless... and lifeless.

The rain howled on.

The door suddenly swung open. Ranma faintly heard the words of a news reporter as he informed the public.

"A freak Rainstorm has begun. It is one of the strongest storms the world has seen since Andrew hit America almost five years ago! Everyone needs to get inside there houses immediately!

"RANMA! GET IN HERE QUICK! IT'S A HURRICANE! HURRY!" Akane cried.

Ranma looked around and suddenly realized that the rain tasted like rain again. He looked at the sky. And while no one else knew, he shed one tear for the girl, whos body he had abdicated.

He ran inside quickly. He liked the rain... but he wasn't a fan of tearstorms.

* * *

"As abruptly as the freak storm began, it stopped... however that's not all that was awkward about the rainstorm. There are quite a few people who were directly beneath the clouds who saw the lightning. It was in the shape of a human girl who seemed to be in extreme pain. We also have many witnesses claiming that the rain was undoubtably NOT rain. Most of them have said that the rain tasted like tears! Therefore this abrupt storm has been named Tearstorm." 

This was the first thing she heard when she awoke. She tried to open her eyes when she somehow realized that they were allready opened. She tried to close them.

They closed just as they normally would. The only problem was... she could still see.

She found herself sprawled on the Tendo living room floor.

She felt nothing whatsoever. She stood, and her feet stood on nothing. She touched the wall, and felt nothing.

The door burst open.

"Taidama!" Akane called into the house.

"Akane!" She asked anxiously.

Akane completely ignored her.

"Well if anyone needs me I'll be in my room!" Akane cried. She bounded around the table and up the stairway to her room. Never noticing the girl.

"Akane?" She repeated, this time confused.

As Akane disappeared up the stairs she felt a small sense of dread.

"Akane?... what kind of joke is this? Why are you ignoring me?" she asked, loud enough that Akane should be able to hear it in her room.

No response.

She walked up the stairs and entered Akane's room. The door had been left wide open.

Akane sat at her desk, apparently doing homework it seemed. Possibly just studying.

"Akane? Whatcha, doin?" She asked.

Once again she was completely ignored.

"AKANE!" She yelled.

Nothing.

She began to hallucinate. "What's happening. Is this some dream? A dream where people can't see or hear me?" She asked herself.

She took her left hand and pinched her right shoulder.

She sat in shock. She felt it. The finger that was her own. In the space her shoulder should be occupying. Her shoulder that should be solid.

She looked down at herself.

And screamed.

* * *

Akane sat at her desk doing her homework. She had just gotten home, but apparently no one was there. "Ranma's probably out flaunting his manliness now or something like that. Hmm, oh well. I guess he deserves it. He's a full guy again." She thought. 

She then began to focus on her work. Though for some reason she had an awkward feeling that someone was watching her. No wind blew or anything but somehow... the hair on the back of her neck was cold and stiff.

Suddenly a soft high pitched noise entered her ear. It was a sweet little noise, somewhat like a continuous bird trill. But then it got louder.

It increased in volume till it was a slight annoyance... then slowly it became louder and louder untill all she could hear was the screaming of what sounded like a young girl.

She flung herself from her chair onto the bed and slammed her hand over her ears. However, the scream only got louder.

She let out her own scream and the hellish sound in her ears disapated instantly.

She breathed in and out, her heart rate moving as fast as ranma's punches.

"What the hell was that...?" She gasped. Nothing bothered her until her family got home hours later, however, the embrace of a guilt ridden person seemed to be all around her.

She felt uncannily warm.

* * *

She caressed Akane trying to sooth the pain she knew she had caused. She didn't know what she had done. But whatever it was, Akane could hear it. The second she stopped screaming Akane stopped rolling on the bed. She used whatever she could to try to comfort Akane but the effort seemed to be in vain. Akane simply returned to her original state of being, if not a little bit edgy. 

"I'm... I'm... I'm a ghost? I'm dead? No... if I were dead why would Akane have been so cheerful?" She thought.

And suddenly a figure appeared at Akane's door.

"Yo 'kane? Could you PLEASE help me with my homework!" Ranma begged from her doorway.

"You idiot! Do your own homework! I have to finish mine!" Akane cried.

"Ranma.." She stared... hoping and praying that she wasn't seeing what she thought she saw. Suddenly, a bucket of cold water came flying out of Akane's hands. It was just about to hit her when suddenly.

WOOSH!

It flew straight through her, fully splashing Ranma.

A still male Ranma.

"No... NO NO NO! That was.. that was me... I was... I WAS RANMA!" She cried.

She ran to the male form of herself and slammed her fist into his face, sending her careening through him and into the hallway floor, only to sail through that as well till she finally stopped and landed face first in the furo.

She huddled into a ball underneath the water, hearing Ranma and Akane's conversation perfectly through the water which no longer had any effect on her hearing.

"The potion wasn't supposed to do this! It was supposed to cure me! CURE ME!" She cried.

Ranma and Akane were laughing. Laughing at the fact that the water had no effect on him. That he had been freed.

They were laughing at her..

Tears came to her eyes. Small, insignificant tears... but tears none the less. And for the first time since she was six, they traveled down her face. She tried to wipe her eyes... but then she found... that even her tears were transparent.

"I'm just a copy? Just a DEAD copy... why? It wasn't supposed to do this... I, Akane..." She whispered. "Then what am I? Who am I? What is my name, if Ranma is still Ranma..."sniff".

They continued laughing. She knew it was unreasonable to blame them. But she felt anger at their laughter about her plight. Especially that body stealer, Ranma Saotome.

They stood and left the room. She rose from the bath tub and entered the room. Sobbing on Akane's bed.

For hours she lay crying. And finally, when she felt she had nothing more to cry about. She decided.

"Akane... I know I'm just a copy... just a mirror reflection.. a ghost... but... I have to do it. I'll stay, Always with you." She whispered.

She left the room, to begin her quest to stay forever by her love's side.

Ghost was born.

"AH Ranma my boy! How have you been these last couple of days you've been free of your curse? Enjoying yourself?" Happosai asked incredulously, bouncing around as per normal. "By the way it's been terrible weather we've had. That storm? Almost bad enough to hinder my rounds!"

"It's GREAT! I havn't felt so free since.. well since I was fifteen! Never having to watch out for water anymore... not being a freak anymore... Thanks again Jijii." Ranma beamed, almost completely missing the letch's second comment.

"Hmm... but I will miss Ranma-chan... I wonder how she is now?" He asked, looking up at the sky.

"Huh? What do you mean she? My girl form?" Ranma asked.

"Yes of course... I wonder if she is in heaven now. Or if her spirit just returned to the spring to be imprisoned again. Or perhaps she's watching over us?" Happosai commented.

Ghost slammed her fist through the old man.

"Jackass. What do you think, I"m doing!" She yelled angrily.

"Hmm, well, I hope she went to heaven, if there is a heaven." Ranma replied. He stood and walked away to find some food... or possibly some more water to test.

"YOU ASSHOLE! I BET YOU KNEW THIS WAS WHAT WOULD HAPPEN ALL ALONG! CHIKUSHO! I TRUSTED YOU YOU PERVERTED LETCH!" Ghost cried as she sent her fist through the old man's head hundreds of times as fast as she could.

Happosai turned and looked toward the sky.

"Hmm... My beautiful Ranma-chan... please forgive me... it was all in Akane's interest... you understand don't you! You wouldn't want her to marry some sex-changing freak would you?" Happosai yelled angrily.

"I'M NOT A FREAK!" She screamed.

"Ugh... Happi! What is done is done.. She's dead now, so Akane-chan can finally be happy! ... I just wish I could tell if Ranma-chan would've said it was the right thing... I hope she didn't feel too much pain..." Happosai told himself.

Ghost teetered and wobbled a little until suddenly she fell flat on her rear.

"He... He knew I would die?" She thought. "He.. murdered me... so Akane wouldn't have to deal with Ranma's curse, he MURDERED ME! DAMN YOU HAPPOSAI" She cried.

Not a living soul witnessed the distraught girl's fury. Though as Happosai walked away he did feel a cold chill flow down his spine.

Two hours later, Ghost sat contemplating Happosai's actions.

"I am... I'm a freak curse to Ranma. Happosai... I... I would've done the same thing... I almost still respect you Happosai. But.. Why did... I have to die...?" She asked the old man who sat smoking his pipe looking at the sky.

"Ah! What beautiful weather! Perfect time for a "Silky Darling Liberation Spree!" Happosai cried as he bounded away.

"Respect is gone..." Ghost thought.

* * *

Ghost lay on the couch, watching the television with Akane on the ground. Akane was transfixxed with the movie, and Ghost, while somewhat bored, was mildly intrested. Considering she couldn't just change the channel. 

"Yo kane'! Aww, why are you watching THIS CRAP!" Ranma cried entering the room.

"Crap! This is one of the best movHEY! CHANGE THAT BACK!" Akane cried as she realized Ranma had snatched the remote as usual. "Oh wait.. this is good, too."

"Greedy Jerk, Ghost thought. "He doesn't even realize what people give up for him. He should at least act like he likes her a little!"

"Hey... do you... wanna do something tonight?" He asked.

"Like what?" She asked.

"Well... I was thinking we could train a little. It's been two days since i've done any actual training because pop is too mad to fight me and i've been celebrating." He said.

Ghost's face heated. "Yeah celebrating a funeral, JERK!"

"I dunno... I guess I could. I've got nothing better to do tonight." She replied.

Ranma lay down on the couch above Akane and turned the TV off.

"Allright Akane, lets go then." He said.

"Not now! I was watching that!" She cried as she snatched the remote back and pressed power.

"Hey now!" He replied and once again retreived it from her hands.

"RANMA!" She cried. She lunged for the remote but it was moved to his other hand. She then sent out several jabs, starting slow at first and picking up speed until her hands blurred with unholy speed.

"Still not fast enough Akane." Ranma said confidently.

"Hmph. I'll show you! Katsuu Tenshin Amaguriken!" She cried.

And suddenly it was once again in her hands.

Ranma blinked. And blinked again. Then he looked at his hands and then at the television which Akane had again fixated her eyes on.

"Uh... wow. Didn't know you'd... learned that."

"Anything goes Ranma!" She smirked.

Ranma stood and walked up to his room, twitching his head, trying to figure out how the fact that she had learned his technique had slipped passed him.

"I taught her ki blasts and control... I didn't teach her that..." He muttered to himself.

"Hmph! If you'd been paying attention you would have realized that that was the first time she's ever tried it! Didn't you see how bad she hurt her hands! Can't you even tell! She can't move her hands that fast yet! The pressure crushed them! Go and get her some bandages or something!" Ghost screamed, knowing that she would have been doing the exact same thing were she in his place.

Akane grasped her hand the second Ranma made it up the stairs.

"DANG THAT HURT!" She thought. "Why? I don't understand... all I did was send ki into my arms and hands and move them as fast as he does... Why did it hurt so much?" She asked herself.

She burried her hand in a pillow trying to coat the pain. It wasn't so painful that she couldn't deal with it but... it was annoying.

Ghost walked back downstairs. Knowing fully well that she wouldn't be able to comfort Akane, she settled for watching her and hoping she got help. Ghost knew the pain recieved from a pressure accuired wound. The skin would split and begin to blister and later turn blue with what appeared to be bruises.

She figured that Ranma would remember this soon. She knew that she would, were she in his place.

"Akane!" Ranma cried as he appeared at the top of the stairs. He bounded down them and landed near her on the couch.

"Akane, have you ever done that technique before?" He asked anxiously.

"Well... no..." She replied trying to hide the pain of her hand, which currently was burried under a pillow.

Ranma yanked her arm out of the pillow and looked at her hand.

"Akane.. you do realize that is going to hurt like hell for about a month right?" He asked.

"WHAT!" She cried.

"Tomboy, why do you think I avoided teaching it to you? The pressure will split the skin and bruise it. Didn't you see my hands when I learned it?" He asked.

"I thought that was just from the burns!" She cried.

Ranma chuckled, "Baka, Akane..."

"Shut up.." Akane pouted. She thought about punching him in the face... but then thought again when her fist erupted into pain when she clenched it.

"Akane... hmm... lets go talk to Kasumi," Ranma said in an exhasperated voice.

Akane glared at him before conceeding the need to get rid of the pain in her hand. It was rising somehow.

"Well... thanks Ranma." She said as she entered Kasumi's abode, also known as the kitchen.

Ranma lay back against the couch and put his hands behind his head.

Ghost watched him, curiously. "Do I always look like that?" She thought. "No... no... I never looked that happy." She thought.

* * *

"TAIDAMA! WERE HOME!" Akane called out. 

"RANMA WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH MY DAUGHTER! IT'S 11:30!" Soun cried.

"Uh... I've.. brought her home on time?" Ranma asked hoping Soun would see reason.

"ON TIME! ON TIME! SHE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE HOME AT 11:30!" He cried.

"But... thats what I just.."

"NO BUTS YOUNG MAN! WE-"

"DADDY! SHUT UP!" Akane cried.

"She yelled at me! WAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!" Soun cried.

"Sorry, Daddy!" Akane yelled, "But you leave me no choice!"

A Soun shapped hole decorated the ceiling.

Ranma and Akane looked at each other.

"Eheh heh." The both laughed nervously at the same time.

"Well, Akane-chan? Same time tomorrow?" Ranma asked.

"Wouldn't miss it Ranma," Akane smiled.

The walked up to their rooms, kissed quickly, and then went into their rooms and went to bed.

"Wow... their getting along so well now... without me." Ghost thought. "I guess... I really was the only thing that was in the way."

Suddenly she heard a sound from Nabiki's room.

She sauntered in. She'd heard this sound often enough and it was about time she found out what it was.

Chaching! Chaching! Chaching!

The sound repeated itself. Ghost looked at Nabiki curiously when she realized the sound was coming from the girl herself. Upon closer inspection, ghost realized that Nabiki's eyes were litterelly, reeling dollar signs, and were actually creating the cash-register sound.

"Perhaps... I'm not the only one that was in the way." She thought.

It had been two months since she had become a ghost. She had watched them both, Ranma and Akane. The had begun a nightly dating ritual. A new place every night. Dance clubs, training, dinners, training, movies, traning, and then a little more training. Every night they were successfully attacked by at least one but usually multiple rivals.

And every night, the rivals were soundly defeated. By both of them together. Akane had even stood up for Ranma when Ryoga attacked him once, which Ranma was amazed for. Of course they ignored her and still fought... but poor Ryoga had not appeared again since.

Ghost had watched all of this. It had been a long time since she had talked with someone. She became an observer. A spectator, serving absolutly no purpose whatsoever. She began to question her reason for staying her. To search for a way to leave the limbo she had been forced into.

She found that, certain people could sense her. Cologne especially. She love to scare Cologne.

But she still hoped that one day she would be able to speak with her about how she had gotten stuck as a ghost, and how to move on.. to stop all the aching she felt whenever she watched Ranma and Akane. As they became closer and closer... slowly forgetting about her very existance.

"I don't understand... there are people everywhere. But... I am lonely even with her here."

* * *

"TAIDAMA! WERE HOME!" Akane called out. 

"RANMA WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH MY DAUGHTER! IT'S 11:00!" Soun cried.

"Uh... I've.. brought her home on time?" Ranma asked hoping Soun would see reason.

"ON TIME! ON TIME! SHE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE HOME AT 11:00!" He cried.

"But... thats what I just.."

"NO BUTS YOUNG MAN! WE-"

"DADDY! SHUT UP!" Akane cried.

"She yelled at me! WAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!" Soun cried.

"Sorry, Daddy!" Akane yelled, "But you leave me no choice!"

A Soun shapped hole decorated the ceiling.

"Akane-chan...?" Ranma asked.

"Yeah, Ranma?"

"Does this.. seem familiar to you?" He asked.

"Not at all, why?" she asked.

"Nothing, just a little Dejavu." He replied.

"Hmm... are you ok?" She asked.

She reached a hand out to feel his head, but he turned and rushed to the end of the hallway, quickly.

"Ranma!" She cried.

"I'm fine!" He replied.

"Allright, then. I was just a little worried." Akane told him.

"Well... thanks, Akane-chan, but I'm fine, really." Ranma returned.

"Ok." She consented.

They sat for a moment, watching the moon from the front room. A little while later, they kissed again. And went to sleep.

"I love you. Akane-chan." Ranma whispered as he entered his room.

"Ditto." Akane replied.

He smiled.

Ghost smiled too. She remembered the first time Ranma had said that officially. It was the most awkward way. She had expected it to be when they were alone. But no. He said it when Shampoo had insulted Akane's looks. She had done it many times before and it still confused Ghost why Ranma reacted this time. Apparently it had just been a straw that had broken the camels back.

Flashback-

"Airen! What you doing with too too violent girl?" Shampoo asked suddenly, appearing in the door of the restaurant.

"Shampoo!" Ranma cried, surprised as he jumped out of the booth.

"Airen, Shampoo save you from violent girl! This place much to cheap for airen. Airen needs good food from Nekohaunten!" Shampoo cried in a bubbly tone as she latched onto Ranma's arm and began to drag him.

"Ugh... Shampoo! Look I really don't..." Ranma began.

"Ranma! Why are you letting that hussy hang all over you!" Akane cried.

"Akane I'm trying to.." Ranma began again.

"Violent girl shut up! Why you so mad? You no stand chance with Ranma anyway. Airen needs girl who's body not built like brick!" Shampoo cried.

Ranma slammed his hand down on the table, splitting it in half. He shoved Shampoo onto the floor and loomed over her angrily.

"Allright! That does it! Shampoo! I'm SICK of you! I'm sick of you making Akane angry at me! I'm here with her. NOT YOU! I asked AKANE to come here! I'm sick of your and everyone else getting between me and her! What give you the right to say things like that? Shampoo! I love Akane! And this will not change! Either you live with it. Or I will not have anything to do with you. Ever. Come on Akane. Lets go." Ranma said angrily.

Akane followed him quickly.

Shampoo sat on the floor, crying.

Ghost applauded Ranma. She didn't, however, even expect him to have noticed what he had said.

"Ranma..." Akane asked.

Ranma was walking a little faster and ahead of Akane.

"Akane why do you always blame me? Blame me for letting Shampoo hang on me? I didn't want to hurt her like that... but.. I have no choice anymore." Ranma said as his anger faded.

"I.."

"I've successfully managed to break Shampoo's heart. I've never liked her. But, I hated doing that back there. Unfortunantly, you left me no choice. Because, I love you. Not her, not Ukyo, and not anyone else. I'm sick of you being mad at me for things other people do... please give me the benefit of the doubt more often? So I dont' have to hurt so many people that are tied to me?" he asked.

"Ranma...? You... Did you just say...? Uh... yeah... yeah.. o.. ok.! I will! I promise!" Akane answered.

"Thanks Akane-chan." Ranma said.

They continued walking towards the dojo.

"Ranma?" Akane asked.

"Hmm?"

"I love you too." Akane said. She was surprised by the ease at which the words flowed off her tongue.

As Ghost watched this... she suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of jealousy.

"Damn! That should be me... Damnit! He stole her from me! She was mine! I'll kill him!" Ghost thought.

Suddenly her anger subsided.

"What the... what the heck just happened to me?" She thought. Moments ago she was jealous enough to kill Ranma, and then it just faded. She still felt lingering envy though.

"Ranma. I'll be loved by her too! I swear, she will love me too! No matter what it takes!" Ghost cried.

Ranma just smiled at Akane. Happy that they finally had it out in the open. Oblivious to the emotions of the ghost beside him.

End Flashback

* * *

Ghost's Quote: Being lonely doesn't mean you are alone. But if you are alone, you will inevitably be lonely. 


End file.
